Strictly Come Dancing is facing a new scandal following reports claiming that a video of a married contestant kissing a female professional dancer has emerged. The popular BBC dance competition has been rocked by controversy in recent years, including complaints about the conduct of professional dancers and claims of alleged cocaine use by the stars. It has now been reported that a 12-second video was filmed by a production member in a dressing room at Elstree Studios and is said to show a male celebrity from a previous season of the programme kissing a female professional dancer sitting on his knee.
According to The Sun, a source said that the clip has been circulating on WhatsApp. It remains unclear who the alleged celebrity and dancer referred to in the report are. HELLO! has reached out to Strictly Come Dancing representatives for comment.
The Strictly curse
The latest report wouldn't be the first to fuel the existence of the so-called 'Strictly curse', which refers to the idea that signing up to the show threatens the status of your relationship, whether you're a celebrity or professional dancer. Over the years, the rumour mill has gone into overdrive regarding potential blossoming romances between celebrity contestants and their dance partners, which has sometimes coincided with the breakdown of pre-existing relationships. One of the most notable examples is the romance between comedian Seann Walsh kissing his dance partner Katya Jones, who were pictured kissing outside of a London pub, despite both parties being in relationships.
© Beretta/Sims/ShutterstockTess and Claudia's departure
The latest scandal comes shortly after the news that Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman would be stepping down as hosts of the show following the latest series. The duo have fronted the series together for over ten years, with Tess hosting alongside Sir Bruce Forsyth for 11 seasons, before Claudia joined as his replacement in 2014.
© CREDIT LINE:BBC/Guy Levy"We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time," the pair wrote in a joint statement on Instagram.
